Country music superstar Willie Nelson was arrested Friday morning for allegedly having about 6 ounces of marijuana after his tour bus was stopped at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, about 85 miles east of El Paso. He posted bond and was released shortly after.

Nelson, 77, was traveling from California to Austin, where he owns a ranch.

Nelson, who has written hundreds of songs including "Crazy," "Whiskey River" and "On the Road Again," was stopped at the checkpoint about 9 a.m.

Border Patrol agents searched Nelson's tour bus and found the marijuana, which Nelson claimed was his, said Hudspeth County Sheriff Arvin West.

Nelson, who has performed duets with Toby Keith, Julio Iglesias, George Jones and many more, was taken into custody and booked into the Hudspeth County Jail. West said that Nelson posted a $2,500 bond and was on the road again by 1:30 p.m. Friday.

"It's kind of surprising, but, I mean, we treat him like anybody else," West said.

"He could get 180 days in county jail, which if he does, I'm going to make him cook and clean," West said.

"He can wear the stripy uniforms just like the other ones do."

A court date has yet to be set.

The Border Patrol checkpoint along Interstate 10 at Sierra Blanca averages 10 to 15 drug-related arrests a day West said, and he expects several more arrests during the weekend as holiday travelers pack the road.

Nelson's publicist Elaine Schock could not be reached for comment Friday, and no changes had been made to Nelson's tour schedule.

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His next performance will be today at the WinStar casino in Thackerville, Okla.

Nelson came to fame during the outlaw country music movement in the 1970s alongside artists such as Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.

His career took off after the release of his 1975 album "Red Headed Stranger" which included his hit song, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain."

Nelson also appeared in several movies including "Barbarosa," "The Electric Horseman" and "Honnysuckle Rose" and on many television shows.

Friday's arrest is the latest of Nelson's brushes with law enforcement involving drugs.

In January, six members of Nelson's band and crew were issued citations in North Carolina for allegedly having marijuana and moonshine.

On Sept. 18, 2006, Nelson and members of his band including tour manager David Anderson were issued citations for drug possession at a traffic stop on Interstate 10 in St. Martin Parish, La. Nearly 1.5 pounds of marijuana and 3 ounces of hallucinogenic mushrooms were found on Nelson's tour bus.

Nelson and Anderson pleaded guilty in that case and each was sentenced to a $1,024 fine and six months of probation.

Nelson also was arrested in 1995 after he had pulled off the road along Interstate 35 south of Waco to sleep after an all-night poker game. Police officers saw a joint in the car's ashtray, and Nelson told the officers that there was also a small bag of marijuana on the car's floorboard.

The prosecutor in the case dropped the charges after a judge ruled that the marijuana seized from Nelson's car was inadmissible because the officers had no probable cause to search the car or to arrest Nelson.